Rec Picture?
 

Nevermind.

You should send a head shot that looks like you do now(and don't make any drastic changes to your appearance until after rush). The photo does not have to be professional-just make sure it flatters you. You can use an IPhone photo if it shows you clearly and makes you look good.

It only went to one sorority, so I'd stop stressing about it, especially if it was someone you know well and she gave you a nice rec. Just get a good head shot for the rest of the groups and go from there. If this is a SWYAPNR, you need to get going on the rest of them for all the sororities at your school ASAP.

People more schooled in recs than me: Would it help for her to have the writer of the aforementioned rec send in an updated photo, or will that just point up the prom photo even more?

Maybe the woman has not mailed the rec yet. You could check and tell her you have a better one to use.

I wouldn't stress about what's been done already. A prom picture isn't the greatest idea in the world, but more because it's probably full length and doesn't show your face as well. A nice picture of your face to your shoulders (a head shot), taken outdoors (on a cloudy day is best or when the light isn't too harsh), on a decent enough camera should be fine. Do your hair simply but nice and same for your makeup.

If you have a couple bucks and can afford to get some professional pictures done, that's great, but I know it can be expensive. I'm a fan of having professional pictures taken of yourself from time to time anyway. You never know when you're going to need pictures for other stuff and this is the picture I'd use on your Facebook cover page too.

I provided my local alumnae one picture (a head/upper body shot) and the coordinator kindly suggested more of a headshot photo. It was one of my senior photos that I had professionally done outdoors so I was pretty happy with it. The biggest delay was trying to get the photographer to give me the un-watermarked electronic photo.

My question/concern: the picture was done in the fall when I'm brunette and in the summer I'm blond. The style and length are the same but the color is different. Should I go back to brunette for rush?

The point is for them to be able to find you in a crowd based on your picture. If you are a dark brunette in your picture and a platinum blond now, that might be a problem but if you are a medium brunette normally and a couple shades lighter now I wouldn't sweat it. If you are concerned but don't want to go all the way back to natural, you could add low-lights or go a few shades darker. But I wouldn't be making any wholesale changes regardless. Unless you've also had a nose job or something, you probably don't look THAT much different.

Thank you for the feedback.

With the beach, sun, etc. it won't be platinum but it'll be blonde. I may go dark blonde before I get there. I'm a natural blonde but once I went brunette it's now darker.

No nose job. I took after my mom so I'm good there.;)